Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-07-23
SATURDAY, JULY e, 1881.
HIS 10000 SPECIMENS.
THE GREATEST ENToMOLOGlsT IN
THE WHOLE COUNTRY.

TIE GREATEST ENTOMOLOGlST IN
THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
A Collection Of Rare Observation-Disclosures
and Lspidopteral Curiosities without
End-A butterfly with ..SS', ON Iii
Wings--The Dead Leaf.
The most eminent authority on butter
flies and moths in America Is Herman
Strecker, Phi. D., Of Reading, Pa. He is
the one man who has made this place
familiar to scientists in every known quar-
ter Of the globe. He inherited his fond
ness for scientific studies, and evinced
this inclination at very early age. The
great repository Of this lcpidopteral col
lection Is in a fine three-story brick man
sion, with skylghts, and built in the
shady suburbs Of the city. Up two flights
OF stairs and we have entered into room
where the largest and rarest collection of
butterflies in America Is deposited over
seventy thousand different specimens.
Here our distinguished entomologist is
happy 1t is night, and the shutters are
thrown wide open; during the day they
are barred, for sunlight soon affects the
luster of his treasures
On the north side of the wall a. pine case
is placed, looking much like the arrange
Iaents Of large post office We are told
that that is the fled correspondence of all
tho distinguished scientists Of entomology
cal fame in thi; and foreign countries,
covering thirty yearss The world IS laid
under tribute by this man of artistic ge-
Mus and scientific research to gain the
newest and best information of butterflies
and moths in every corner Of the globe.
FORTY YEARS OF LABOR.
This collection of insects shorty years
in gathering, and In the work more than
twenty thousand dollars have been ex-
pended. Some Of the specimens cost 100,
several $50 and so, and scores Of them
80 and $40 There Is noprivate OF public
collection in all this " stern hemisphere
thar can equal It The London museum
has d somewhat larger collection, but IN
order and rarity ut arranged specimens
this private collection would not be ex-
Changed for two Of EJIgland's kind, and
for none inthe entire world. II fire should
sweep 1t up, something in America would
have been destroyed that no century could
replace. The butterflies might be had
il the entomologist should just happen TO
be born and be also endowed With perse-
verance and blessed With capital for the
task.
There ii no country, no climate, no al
titude, no solitude that has not been pene-
trated for the pdd and beautiful specimens
Of butterflies here gathered. Some are as
tiny as mrsquito, and others as large as
q halt fedged pigeon The owl moth 81
Brazil measures foot across the wings.
Where do they come from, these many
different little creaturesq When the
second Ross expedition was made in search
Of q northwest passage in 1929 q new
species OF colias, afterwards, called boot
hi. was found In few specimens, the
only ones known to this day, one OF which
came later into possession Of Strecker's
collection. It Is the only sample OF the
species II America. Three Of the great
napilio antimachus, from equatorial
Africa. can be seen here. Only about
dozen are known. Suites OF the golden
crnesrs and lydius from Halmeheira the
cnrions Parnassus butterflies from lS,OUU
feat Elevation in the Himalayas and other
mountains; the enormous cossus from
Australia, which are eaten by the hs.lVesi
the gorgeous rhaipheus HES from Mada-
sascar without a rival Ia matchless colorS.
Then come monster curiosities, hall male
and half female; these Of one wing, party
81 one sex and partly Of another sex AZ
limos. hybrids, nielanos and extra winged
and other freaks. Indians, Esqulmaux,
explorers. travellers and missionaries
have ali helped to this wonderful coilec-
ton Of butterflies.